William Bartowski versus the New York Crisis
by East Coast Captain
Summary: Liam Bartowski is lost and presumed dead when his chartered plane crashes into the South China Sea. Eight years later he returns to his family but not all is as it seems, unbeknownst to his legendary parents Chuck and Sarah and those closest to him, he fights evil doers and those who support from the shadows. While in New York City he investigates a wide ranging conspiracy.
1. The Beginning

**Note: **This is a future fic, I came up with last year and decided to have a go at it again. So as always I thank my invaluable beta PJ Murphy for being awesome and for taking the time out of his schedule for making this readable so again thank you. Now on with the show!

* * *

_Shermer, Illinois _

_June 12, 2014 _

_7:56 pm_

Sarah's screams tore through the delivery room. She took a deep breath and grabbed the rails of the bed. The former spy had been in labor since early this afternoon. They were visiting the Woodcombs in their suburban Chicago home when her water broke. The labor had approached its seventh hour as the sun was setting outside. Her loving husband, Chuck, was by her side holding her hand. And like any good husband in this situation, he ignored the pain as she squeezed his hand far too tightly.

"You can do it Sarah. Just a little more," Chuck said soothingly.

Sarah nodded and began to push again, the pain ripping through her body. Chuck hated seeing his beloved wife in pain; he could only whisper words of love to her comforting the former spy as best he could. He didn't think they would be here two years ago after nearly losing her to her former self. But a few weeks after their talk on that beach she had recovered most of her memories coming back, piece by piece. Nine months after that, their first born, Stephen Jack Bartowski, came along. Sarah considered the moment she held the little child named for his grandfathers the greatest moment of her life.

"I can see the head," the doctor said calmly with hands at the ready. "Keep pushing Mrs. Bartowski. We're almost there."

"We better be or someone is getting hurt!" she exclaimed.

Sarah pushed one final time screaming at the top of her lungs. The cries of a baby followed soon after. Sarah slumped back against the pillow in complete exhaustion. The nurses cleaned the infant, letting Chuck to cut the umbilical cord. They then wrapped the newborn in a bright blue blanket with a rabbit printed on it and presented it to the proud parents. The infant had calmed down.

"It's a boy!" The nurse announced with a huge grin.

Chuck took the baby boy into his arms, as Sarah was too tired to hold him. She reached up to cradle the child's face with her hand.

"He´s beautiful," Sarah whispered as the exhaustion began to overtake her.

"Go to sleep, honey. You were incredible today," Chuck said passionately.

"Love you," she whispered as she closed her eyes.

"I love you, too."

Chuck gave Sarah a gentle kiss to her forehead and took a look at his newborn. The infant looked tiredly up at his father and Chuck noticed he had different color eyes. His left eye was blue and his right eye was brown.

Chuck looked up as there was a knock on the door. He saw his mother, Ellie, and a certain toddler named Stephen Jack Bartowski. The nurses finished with Sarah and left the family to enjoy this special day.

"Hey, Daddy. Stevie was asking for his parents," Ellie said, holding her nephew in her arms. Devon had gone home with Clara while they stayed to support Chuck and Sarah with their second birth.

"Dada," Stevie squeaked, happy to see his father holding out his arms. He looked at his mother who was asleep. "Mama," he said as he pointed a little finger at his mother.

"She's asleep, little buddy."

Chuck handed the baby to his mother, who held her youngest grandson for the first time, almost reminding her when Chuck was born.

"I'd like for you to meet someone." Chuck grinned as he took his oldest son into his arms. The nineteen-month old wasn't old enough to understand why he was here or what the bundle in Grandma's arms was. Chuck stepped carefully over to his mother, and little Stephen saw the small child in his grandmother's arms. His eyes stared in wonder at the sleeping baby.

"This is your little brother," Chuck said

"Baby," Stevie said in awe.

"He looks just like you, Chuck, after you were born." Mary said lovingly.

Ellie had tears in her eyes at the scene that played out before her, the respected doctor could barely believe this was happening after so much that has happened between her baby brother and Sarah. After all of the struggles they went through, they were finally getting the family they deserved.

"Did you decide on a name?" Ellie asked.

Chuck thought for a second and knew of a good name.

"William," Chuck replied, looking at his youngest son. "William Bartowski."

* * *

_Four-thousand feet above the South China Sea _

_August 5, 2033 _

_10:24 pm_

Nineteen-year-old William "Liam" Bartowski sat in a chartered plane watching the ocean waves below..what he could see of them, anyway. Ten other interns had joined him for this flight. He was reading the local newspaper translated into English, the front page reporting about a mysterious computer hacker wreaking havoc across several Asian countries. The top computer experts in the region were dumbfounded.

The plane had taken off from Singapore just twenty minutes ago. His boss, Dr. Ed Ramirez was talking on his headphones. The young man could not believe his luck when he was chosen earlier this year as an intern to NASA of all places, and he was only in his first year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was studying Mechanical Engineering. His entire family was proud of him for his accomplishment.

"It seems the mission is going along smoothly," Ramirez announced with a grin, shutting off his headphones and meeting the gaze of his shaggy-haired protégé.

Liam smiled. Last month, humans set foot on the barren world of Mars. It was a mission for the ages, a gigantic team effort for Project Red Sunrise. It took many of the greatest minds on the planet more than a decade to make this a reality. Thanks to the Galileo Drive System invented by two engineers on the project, it took the international team of ten astronauts only three months to reach the fourth planet instead of the standard eighteen it took for satellites and unmanned equipment earlier in the century.

"I knew they would make it," Liam said proudly. Liam's older brother, Stephen, could never pronounce his name correctly as a child, always calling him Liam instead of William, and it stuck. It used to annoy Liam, but then his older brother probably saved him a lot of ridicule of having such a formal name as William growing up.

"By the beginning of next century we may be calling Mars our second home and after that, beyond this galaxy." Ramirez sat back and grinned self-assuredly. "My father would have been proud. I wish he would have lived to see this."

Juan ''Johnny'' Ramirez was a scientist, the son of humble Ecuadorian immigrants. Eduardo promised that he would make his parents proud. Unfortunately, his father never got to see many of his accomplishments, having been one of the millions of victims of the Pluto Plague, a deadly man-made virus that struck in the spring of 2021. It swept out of control for three months across the globe until midsummer when a cure was discovered and distributed. However, the cure came too late to save his parents.

Liam's ePhone buzzed in his shirt pocket. The ID indicated it was from the Bartowski homestead. He picked up and heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hey sweetie. Just checking in," Sarah said. His mother worried at times. Fortunately she kept it only to days that ended in the letter 'y'. "How was the conference?"

"Excellent. We had some great speakers, ate some Chinese food…which for some reason, they just call it food…and we took off just fifteen minutes ago," Liam replied. "How's Dad?"

"Skyping with some of the team. Again." She laughed merrily.

Liam shook his head and smiled. His father was one of the most hard-working men he had ever known, as was his mother. They both ran a successful publishing company called Carmichael Publishing. It was headquartered on Main Street back in Brae Harbor and they were also in the middle of setting up a green technology division as well as an electronics division. That work ethic certainly passed down to him having worked at an antique restoration shop in town during the summer when he was sixteen, but he certainly learned a great many things. They also owned a great diner and a book store that sold all types of literature on the opposite side of the HQ.

"What a surprise," Liam replied with a chuckle.

The sky flashed outside as the plane flew into a storm. The plane began to shake.

"Liam, are you there?" Sarah asked with some concern.

"Yeah, Mom. Just some turbulence." He took a quick look out the window. "How's Steve? I haven't heard from him in since last Friday."

His brother had traveled along with their childhood friend and Steve´s girlfriend, Lara, to the South American country of Costa Gravas where she was born. Lara use to be Liam's former crush, but he had gotten over it quickly when he saw how close she was getting to his brother during senior year. Liam knew they had feelings for each other for a few years now but he didn´t let them know that.

"He actually called me this morning. Lara is teaching him Spanish." Sarah laughed at the thought of Steve trying to learn Spanish from a not-so-patient instructor.

The plane rumbled more violently this time causing Liam to drop the phone on the floor. A flash and an explosion followed, sending everybody into a panic as both engines were struck. Everyone held on for dear life as the engines failed. The plane went down, and everyone was screaming.

"Liam!" cried a frantic Sarah as she heard the chaos, completely powerless to do anything. The line went dead.

The plane skipped twice off the surface of the ocean before falling in. The fuselage filled quickly with water because of the damage the lightning caused. Ramirez floated to the surface in his lifejacket with the other interns. The scientist looked around for the one intern who was missing, but it was too dark to see.

"William!" he called, looking around for the lost young man.

* * *

_Eight Years Later…_

_New York City  
_

_December 15, 2041 _

_ 10:28 am_

The sun rose over the skyline in this city of three million, ushering in a new day.

Lara Bartowski stirred, trying to put an arm around her bed mate but finding only empty white sheets. It seemed her significant other was already awake, and judging by the pleasant smell of pancakes in the air, he was making breakfast. The respected attorney threw the white sheets aside and slipped on a red silk bathrobe. She stepped into the kitchen of their loft apartment and saw a familiar sight. A shirtless Steven wearing only a pair of boxers; he flipped a last stack of pancakes onto a second plate. To say it wasn't an unpleasant sight to wake up to would be underselling it by a landslide. Yesterday they celebrated her twenty ninth birthday. In fact, they had so much fun, that they came home after one in the morning and 'celebrated' some more.

She wrapped her arms around him from behind. They would be celebrating two wonderful years of marriage next May. On the special window made of digital glass it indicated the weather as sunny and cool. It was another beautiful day in this city. They had moved here after graduation. It was the one thing she missed about Costa Gravas more than anything else; temperatures that made you want to mainline frozen margaritas instead of coffee.

"Morning," she said happily.

"Hope you're hungry. I made banana pancakes. Grandpa Steve's specialty," he turned in her direction and grinned gallantly. One of the reasons she loved her husband was his chivalry and his good heart.

"That I am, Agent Bartowski," Lara purred as she stood on her toes for a kiss. The ringing phone prevented it from going beyond chaste.

"I'll get it," he said, chuckling at their romantic moment being interrupted.

He picked up the phone, holding it to his ear. The Caller ID indicated a number from outside the country.

"Agent Bartowski speaking…" Steven answered.

The NOI agent's eyes widened as soon as the person on the other side line told him the reason for the call.

"What!?" he exclaimed, shocked to the core before calming down. "Of course, sure."

Lara looked worried; it wasn't a usual call from the office. This was something far more serious. Steven threw the phone on the sofa, completely speechless from the call. His heart was beating faster than usual.

"Steven, what's wrong?" asked his wife apprehensively.

"It's…uh Liam." The name of his dead brother rolling awkwardly off his tongue. It had been a long while since he said his name but he thought of him quite often.

The Latina beauty gasped softly, fearing the worst. For Lara, Liam was her best friend throughout childhood and high school. She regretted when they lost contact, rarely seeing each other when she chose to go to the Midwest with Steven.

"He´s alive. They found him, he´s in a hospital in Canada right now." Steven said. He was shaking. Lara put her arms around him and held him tightly, letting him know that she was there for him since it was her family, too.

Steven wondered how he was going to tell his parents. For three weeks after the crash, they searched and searched but to no avail. Eventually the regional authorities called off the search, and after a year he was declared dead in absentia. But now he was alive.

_What happened? Why was he found now? And why was he in a hospital in Canada?_

The questions raced through Steven's mind, but he knew he had to put them aside. Delay was not an option.

* * *

_Brae Harbor, Maine_

_ December 15, 2041 _

_ 10:35 am_

The town was a picturesque, tight-knit, peaceful place founded by Scottish and Irish immigrants in 1742, and it was inhabited by only eight thousand people. It was a friendly place, and everyone knew each other. Most of the buildings were made of stones and bricks, and the townspeople liked it that way. It was a quiet place. In fact, it was so peaceful that the last murder happened almost sixty years ago.

The Bartowski house was a beautiful two story, red brick Georgian-style home. It was bought at a low price due to its deteriorated state in mid-2016. Chuck and Sarah fixed it up and made it into a worthy home. It was a noisy home growing up with two rambunctious boys, but it was as happy of a home as any in this area.

Chuck was outside the old 2018 Ford while Sarah was inside preparing for the 300th anniversary of the town's founding. It was still six months away but it was prepared in advance. Chuck and Sarah always got an early start to the day, a habit kept over from when their children still lived in the house. Those days were hectic, waking up early in the morning during weekdays making sure they had their breakfast and sending them on their way to school.

The phone rang. "Answer," Sarah said to the voice activated phone.

"Hi, Mom." It was her oldest son, Steven. She wondered why he sounded subdued.

"Hey sweetie. what´s up?" she asked cheerfully as she got a plate from the cabinet.

"They found him, Mom. They found Liam," he said solemnly.

Sarah dropped the plate, which shattered on the floor in several pieces. Chuck hurriedly came inside seeing something wrong.

"Sarah, What´s wrong?" he asked nervously.

"It's Liam, Chuck, he´s alive." She said happy tears streaming down her eyes.

* * *

_Toronto, Ontario, Canada_

_ December 15, 2041_

_ 6:45 pm_

Night had already fallen by the time Bartowskis arrived in the second largest city in Canada. A late flight left at four in the afternoon, and an already impatient and anxious Sarah went up the sixth floor with her husband, her son, and his wife trailing behind her trying to keep her calm.

The doctor attending Liam spoke to them before going to his room. It was a lot to take in, after so many years their son was back, his brother was back.

"He was shot in the shoulder by a mugger, most likely, but that's not the main problem. For years he had amnesia, probably getting it after the plane crash, and only in the last few weeks has his memories returned to him. I would caution you to be careful because the William you lost may not be the one that was found."

The doctor opened the door to the room where Liam stood looking out the window at the bright city lights as they shone in the night. He turned and gave his family a smile. "Hi, guys."

Sarah crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her baby boy who returned the embrace. Sarah cried happily as she had her youngest son back. Chuck soon joined the hug, crying as well. Steven stared at his younger brother in awe, seeing how much he had changed. Gone was the lanky one-hundred and thirty pound shaggy-haired boy. In his place stood a man with short hair and much more toned.

* * *

**Cast**

**Zachary Levi -** Liam Bartowski/Chuck Bartowski

**Dave Annable** - Steven Bartowski

**Hayley Atwell **- Autumn McArthur

**Mark Dacascos - **Qiu

**Cote de Pablo -** Lara Bartowski

**Yvonne Strahovski -** Sarah Bartowski

**Natalie Martinez **- Maria Lobo

**Christopher Heyerdahl -** Jacob Mortley

**Edward James Olmos** - Dr. Eduardo Ramirez.

**Lennie James **- Peter Briggs


	2. Home Is Where the Heart Is

_New York City _

_ December 15, 2041 _

_ 9:17 pm_

Secretary of Science Ed Ramirez rehearsed his speech in his head for the hundredth time that day behind the stage at the docks. The former NASA scientist could hardly believe when he was named to serve in President Korinthos' cabinet during her final term just after her re-election last year, after former Secretary Guillermo Copernico had retired. Tonight they were christening a merchant ship known as the _UMG Roanoke,_ built by some of this country's finest engineers and scientists, it was truly ingenious.

_If only William were here,__ he thought._

Ed thought back on his missing protégé, who was currently presumed dead since they never found his body. The young man had a gift and fascination for this type of thing. So much so that Ed personally recruited him for _Project Red Sunrise,_ where he did amazing work. Although the young man loved his anonymity, preferring to use an alias in the official papers.

"Secretary Ramirez will say a few words now," said Secretary of the Navy Elmer O'Halloran, a native of Chicago, who smiled at his colleague.

It was his turn to speak, clearing his throat, Ed walked out into the stage and looked into the huge crowd of journalists and tech enthusiasts.

"Thank you, Secretary O'Halloran. I stand here before all of you tonight to showcase the scientific prowess of this fine nation. The _UMG Roanoke_ is a marvel of the ingenuity of six different people, the wealth of this country..."

A pain in his chest stopped him from continuing. Everyone watching looked on concerned wondering if the secretary was feeling well.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry, had a chili cheese dog about an hour ago. Damn you, Nathan's, and your awesome food!" Everyone laughed. "As I was saying, this nation's true wealth is its people. Its scientists, its nurses, its engineers, its doctors, its firefighters..."

He stopped again. His arteries constricted, his heart struggled inside his chest, and his breathing quickened. He clutched his chest; the scientist keeled over and fell to the ground. He never moved after that.

* * *

_Brae Harbor, Maine _

_ December 16, 2041_

_ 8:31 am_

The last of the leaves fell on the ground as winter was nearing once again, just like it had every year. All was quiet in town as it was a Sunday morning. Most people were either stirring awake or were still fast asleep in their beds enjoying the rest. Liam was not asleep. In fact he was sketching furiously in his synthetic leather-bound notebook. The sketch was the design of a machine he saw in that facility in the North Sea before he followed the scumbag who shot him to Canada. He didn't know what it was or what it could be, but he had a few theories some he would run by Autumn.

He had been awake since seven in the morning, not that he got a lot of sleep the previous night. Liam was glad to be home after so many years. Even in his amnesiac state he knew something was missing. That something was his family and his hometown, this sleepy coastal town in the state of Maine. He thought about going to Ella´s Diner later on and getting one of those famous apple pies he likes so much. His old memories mixed with the ones that he made after the plane crash. He felt like he was torn between who he was before and who he was now.

His old bedroom had a steampunk feel to it with the Victorian-esque chair was sitting on to the mechanical clock on the table beside his bed, he made it from scraps when he was just eleven years old. He was glad his parents kept it the way he left it many years. His parents held him all the way to the airport…actually, there were tears all the way to the plane. His older brother and his once best friend, Lara, were emotional as well, very happy to see him again. Lara gave him a massive hug with tears in her eyes while his brother ruffled his hair like he used to do when they were children. He wasn't surprised that they had married, the three of them were close growing up. They first met in elementary school. She had been new to town, and they had become the best of friends. He introduced her to his brother, who found himself in her history class after he punched the school bully for picking on another kid. Their paths broke apart as both Steve and Lara went to Cornell University. His brother was a righteous man so he wasn't surprised his brother became a special agent for the Naval Office of Investigations, the successor agency to NCIS. Their relationship was likened to that of Harry, Ron and Hermione from the _Harry Potter_ novels.

Pressing the key on the touchpad of his old computer, the hologram screen lit on. Liam connected to a link window where he typed in an address in Berlin, Germany. In a few seconds, a familiar face appeared in the window. It was his associate, Edward Qiu, a middle aged man of Asian descent. He was the manager of the operation while Liam was the field operative. Liam knew that wasn't his real name, but he never asked him or tried to find out for himself.

"Liam? Dude, you're okay," he sighed in relief. "Idiot. I told you not to go after that son of a bitch,"

"You think I was going to let a piece of crap like that off the hook so easily? Especially for what he did?" Liam said angrily.

Qiu sighed in defeat, wondering why he even bothered. The younger man barely listened to him in the five years they worked together.

"So how's Autumn behaving?" Liam asked, referring to the analyst who provided tech support on the missions. She had worked for them since last year but had known her for four years.

"Annoying as ever, but she's a diligent woman. She tracked your movements with a satellite. I had my doubts in the beginning but she's come through for us many times. Remember that mission for the King of England?" Qiu said with a laugh.

"His Majesty was pretty calm under fire," Liam replied with a smile.

"Though the Prime Minister sure had a weak bladder," Qiu sighed shaking his head.

Liam's demeanor turned solemn. "Something has come up, Qiu. We have a lot to talk about that's probably best said in person."

"I agree. Meet us in Philadelphia." Qiu nodded before closing the link.

The aroma of breakfast filled his nostrils, prompting his stomach to rumble. He had been so concerned about his work that he forgot about breakfast. No doubt his parents were setting the table and would want him to have the best home-cooked meal possible. And Liam knew they would succeed, too. He went downstairs and as he deduced, his parents were setting the table and serving breakfast. He smiled genuinely. He barely said a word to his family last night, as he was quite nervous. But he figured if he could fight a highly trained assassin on a crane one thousand feet above Tokyo, then he ought to be able to talk to the people who raised and nurtured him. The television on the table near the door leading out to the backyard was on, and the top news story was the death of the Secretary of Science.

_Secretary Ramirez suffered a massive aortic dissection while unveiling a new merchant vessel in New York City, he was sixty-four years old, he is survived by his son Pietro, President Korinthos was reached at her diplomatic trip to Costa Gravas said that he was a man of great conviction who held a passion for his craft._

Liam thought back on his mentor who had guided him when he was recruited to the project, he was a good man with a good mind always quoted Einstein. It had been news last night all and all morning since he was one of the members on Project Red Sunrise.

"Hey guys," he grinned his one thousand watt Bartowski grin inherited from his father.

"Morning, champ," Chuck said pleasantly.

"'Hey, sweetie," Sarah added. "I made your favorites." The matriarch was happy to have her youngest baby back home after eight long years. She had hoped and prayed for his return and here he was.

Liam looked at the assortment of delicious food, cheese omelets, turkey bacon, and toast with some orange juice in a pitcher.

"Looks good," he smiled piling some toast and bacon into his plate.

"All the best for you, sweetheart," she smiled warmly as she sat down to eat breakfast with her husband and son.

"A damn shame about Doctor Ed. He was a good man," Liam took a bite from the toast.

"He was. It's a shame we never got to meet him," Sarah lamented.

"Where are Steve and Lara?" Liam asked.

"They went back to New York. Apparently it was urgent, but they promised to be back next weekend."

"I know you guys have a lot of questions for me and I'll try to answer most of them. Go ahead, ask me anything you want." Of course, Liam was going to give the most false answer he possibly could. He didn't want to lie to his family, but he had to in order to protect them from his dangerous line of work.

"What happened to you after the crash?" they both asked at the same time.

_Washed ashore on an island and then trained by a mysterious man slash sensei slash badass, __was the answer that went through his mind. _

And it stayed there. "I woke up on a shipping freighter from Hong Kong on its way back home. Most of the crew spoke English just fine. I didn't know who I was. The engines broke down, and the mechanic happened to be sick. I fixed it and the boss, who was undercover, gave me a job as an engineer. So here I am eight years later doing what I love," Liam said, lying through his teeth, his official occupation is being an engineer though that is for appearances. "I was in Toronto trying to catch a flight to Philadelphia when I was mugged. I only had like ten bucks in my wallet, but losing my IDs and credit cards meant I couldn't go anywhere so I asked the hospital to call a Stephen Bartowski and here I am."

Both of his parents remained silent while they absorbed this information. He looked nervously between them hoping they believed his story. His mother had been a professional liar for many years, but he had developed his own ability to deceive thanks to his training. A skill which he had perfected in the past eight years, although his mother probably knew to make as much of your lie as possible be the truth to sell it better. He washed ashore on an island that appears in almost no modern maps only in outdated pirate maps from the late eighteenth century.

"Son, that's quite an adventure," Chuck said.

_You have no idea, Dad, __he thought with an inward smile _"But I'm back and I'm OK. Could we talk about something else? How's the business going?"

"Going strong," Sarah said. "Though the green tech and electronics departments never got off the ground. And after you disappeared, we were depressed for a little while."

* * *

_Philadelphia C.T. _

_ December 16, 2041 _

_ 9:04 pm_

Months after the pandemic ended, the geopolitical landscape of the world changed. Nations unified and broke apart, particularly in North America. Out of a surprisingly peaceful process, four nations were born: the Federal Republic of America, the California Federation, the Colorado Commonwealth and the Republic of Cascadia. The city of Philadelphia became the new capital territory of the country.

The city was quiet this night, there were barely any people in Rittenhouse Square. Qiu sat on a bench deep in thought. Qiu was publicly the chairman of the Buy More, which had evolved since its days as a retail store so its name was now symbolic. They had invested in clean energy, environmental clean-up and medical equipment. However the petite brown-eyed brunette standing next to him was anything but patient. She was staring at her blue nail polish.

"Where the hell is he?" she growled irately.

"Relax, he'll be here," Qiu replied with a tired sigh.

As if on cue, Liam came walking up the sidewalk. "'Sorry I'm late. I was in court today to declare myself alive again," he said apologetically.

"Hey bro, something..." Qiu began.

"We told you not to go after that psycho, what the fuck is the matter with you?" Autumn exclaimed angrily.

"I handled him fine, He shot me because I let my guard down for only a second," Liam said waving it off. "Not my proudest moment."

"You are a fucking moron, darling," she said, using the nickname she bestowed upon him when they met. They outwitted each other so many times over the last four years, she used to send him cards taunting him with red lipstick on the bottom. She always signed "darling," having picked that up in her native Brighton, England.

"OK, kids. Settle down," Qiu chuckled, amused by their bickering.

"She started it," Liam said pointing a finger at the brunette, who stuck out her tongue at him.

"Mortley escaped Savor," Qiu said as he took on a more serious demeanor. Savor was a notorious prison in Western Brazil. No one had ever escaped it…until now, that is. Joseph Mortley was an international criminal who began his life of crime in his native Canada. He dealt in various illicit activities such as arms dealing, murder for hire, political assassinations, and political intrigue. He had clashed with them several times over the last six years.

"Mortley isn't an ordinary man." Liam wasn't surprised. He figured it was only a matter of time before he would escape. Mortley had a brilliant but highly Machiavellian mind.

He took out a folded paper from his jacket, showing to Qiu and Autumn. "I memorized a machine design in that facility before I followed that son of a bitch to Canada."

"I don't recognize the design," Autumn said, her eyes looking over the sketch. She had a knack for invention and machinery. They had even worked on several little inventions that were a great aid in their missions.

"We picked up some electronic chatter on several encrypted networks," Qiu said. "New York came up a lot. Autumn has been trying to decipher the rest of it, but whatever Mortley is planning, it's likely going to happen there."

"So New York it is. I haven't been there since I was twelve, but my brother and his wife live there."

Liam rubbed his beard stubble. Qiu and Autumn raised their eyebrows, Liam rarely talked about his life before amnesia, but bits of flashes came back to him over the years, including his real name.

* * *

_New York City _

_ December 17, 2041 _

_ 6:52 am_

New York was an ever-changing city, though much of the skyline had been almost unchanged in the last half-century. Some new buildings littered its world famous visage. It once held a stable population of ten million people by 2021. However, after the Pluto Plague, that number dropped significantly after many evacuated the city. Due to the heatwave that plagued the East Coast the casualties peaked when the cure was discovered. However, in the last decade the city had seen a revival in science, art, and culture. It was a return to things that made the old republic great in the first place. Many of the residents of the city were artisans, tradesmen, and scientists. It was as if Greenwich Village had spread to the other boroughs.

The trio set up their base of operations in Astoria, which dubbed the Lisbon Quarter as many of its residents were Portuguese immigrants. Qiu and Autumn kept themselves busy setting up the computer systems, interfacing them with the Hephaestus Network which Liam and she invented. She even dubbed it their "child". It was a highly sophisticated system. One of its features was allowing them to remain undetectable, though they still upgraded it to keep up with new software. Most of their equipment was here, but the rest of their stuff was still being shipped to the city.

Liam exercised with his wooden dummy called a Muk Yan Jong, hitting and punching the martial arts training tool to release his stress, he would often do it when thinking over his missions. Autumn gulping down the last of her _Brica,_ Portuguese coffee, to stay awake, having only got three hours of sleep the prior evening in a local inn near their base. After all, protecting the innocent and stopping the bad guys was a very interesting and tiring job to say the least.

"You sure you should be doing that? You were shot only four days ago," she inquired.

"Exercise is good for the body," Liam responded with a shrug.

"The NOI are after Mortley, especially after what he did last year," Qiu said, recalling the Honolulu sinking that became news for three days straight.

"Two hundred sailors and ten NOI agents perished in that," Autumn said gravely.

"Including Director John Kent. He trained many agents…like one Stephen Bartowski," Qiu looked up at Liam knowingly.

Autumn saw the picture of Stephen. "He looks a bit like you, Liam. The Clark Kent to your Bruce Wayne," Autumn giggled jokingly.

"Steve had always been quite the Boy Scout," Liam said as he donned a gray synthetic leather jacket. "Although he once stole my Uncle Casey's restored Humvee when he was sixteen to impress his first girlfriend, Elena . Mom punished him by sending him to live with Uncle Casey in his ranch for that summer, kid was worked from dawn to dusk served as a very valuable lesson."

"You've never done anything like that, William?"

"Nope," Liam said quietly as cleared his throat.

"Don't forget to..." Qiu looked up and saw that Liam was gone as if vanished into thin air. He has gotten used to it over the years.

"Connect, I know," Liam said through the computer connection that they used to communicate, startling Qiu. "Well then, let's get to work."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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**Note: **As usual read and review, as always thank you Murphy for being there for me. Brae Harbor is inspired by three places actually: Bar Harbor, Maine. Lunenberg, Nova Scotia. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.


	3. Its the Simple Things

**Author's Note: **Thank for the kind words everyone who reviewed, they make a big difference.

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_Lower East Side_

_December 17, 2041_

_7:30 am_

Steven Jack Bartowski was not having the best start to the weekday, Joseph Mortley the man responsible for the heinous sinking of a Naval ship in Honolulu last year had escaped a notorious prison in South America, it should have been done and over with but the man was much clever than Steven or anyone would have anticipated after he had eluded authorities for the last two decades, it was rumored that he was the leader or affiliated with the Circle, a hostile organization that was believed to responsible for the unleashing of the Pluto Plague and its leadership is also theorized to be remnants of the Ring but only rumors. They reached out to the intelligence community who were not able to find anything.

He always came to work early so he would hit the office gym on the second floor, Steven was a consummate athlete, he had been all his life in fact he was the captain of the high school Baseball Team, the Brae Harbor Beavers won the state championship three years in a row. He lifted himself up against the metal bar, his favorite work out was a good ole fashion pull up, to train the spirit one must train the body.

The other thing occupying his thoughts were his younger brother after so many years he was finally back, safe and sound. While he was happy to have his former ''sidekick'' even though the younger Bartowski had barely said anything last night. After eight years, it was quite an emotional shock to see each other once again. His little brother had always occupied his thoughts.

Coming into the gym was Maria Lobo who happened to be the younger sister of one Lara Bartowski who happened to be a NOI agent after leaving the Air Force two years ago, she had just been transferred to the NOI office in NYC.

''Wassup Stevey!'' she exclaimed jovially.

''Maria?'' he grinned dropping on the mat. Lara said her little sister was coming ever since being transferred from the state of Puerto Rico where one of the five NOI offices is located. Lara and Maria were like night and day, Lara loved Jazz while Maria loved Neo Punk, and Lara loved ballet while Maria liked Motocross.

''I figured I'd find you here,'' She said playfully punching him in his shoulder. He took a gulp of his water bottle.

''Lara told me about Liam,'' Her jovial disposition turned serious. ''How is he?''

''Left him back home, he´s okay physically speaking though he barely said a word to any of us, to think he use to be a chatterbox who made his mind known,'' Steve cracked an amused grin remembering that shaggy-haired boy who had a naive and idealistic view of the world. ''He also has muscles.''

''Really?'' She raised an eyebrow remembering the tall and skinny young man whom she always teased.

''I should ask him about his work out regiment,'' Steven joked.

''Bartowski! Lobo!'' the authoritative voice of Senior Agent Peter Briggs who had over thirty years in the agency back before when the agency was still NCIS.

''Yeah boss?'' asked Steven cheekily.

He rolled his eyes at his normally cheerful subordinate. ''Some guy from MI-5 is here, he thinks he may know about Mortley´s next scheme,'' he said.

The atmosphere turned deadly serious, everyone in the agency wanted his head on a pike. They all headed to the third floor of the six story building. A tall man with blue eyes who resembled Tom Selleck slightly with the mustache.

''Agent Franklin Newton,'' Agent Franklin announced in a brisk Estuary accent. They all shook his hand.

''Last year there that bit of a mess in London with Mortley, the bloke attempted to plunge the city into winter in the middle of the bloody summer, this unknown operative only known by the alias 'The Detective' stopped him, we don´t know anything about him, what he looks like,''

''An urban legend started by intelligence agents with too much time on their hands,'' Steven scoffed having heard the stories ever since becoming an agent six and a half years ago.

''Whoever it was left us with some valuable information a few months back, we may think he may be here in the city,'' the Agent grinned in a very James Bond-ish way giving a data disk to Briggs.

''Give my best to Director Quigley,'' Briggs said politely.

''Of course,'' he said courteously before leaving.

Briggs looked at the metallic data disk in his hand. He felt something off about that gentleman from the MI5.

''Have Rietta look this over, I´ll be in my office,'' he said handing it to Steve who nodded.

Just rounding the corner of the NOI office, Agent Newton ripped off a mask that was Agent Newton revealing Liam underneath, he threw it in the trash along with the gloves that made his hands look older there were barely any people in the street, rush hour would begin within a few minutes soon this block would fill up with people going to work many lived in the outer boroughs while some commuted from the nearby bedroom communities in New Jersey.

''That should point them in the right direction,'' said Qiu in his ear.

''They don´t know Mortley, he´s a slippery devil,'' Liam stressed taking a flexible material from his right eye called a Chameleon eye, it could make his eyes appear the same color if applied to the opposite eye it had come in handy when using his disguises.

''True but that´s part of our M.O. we stop them and thwart their plans but leave them for the authorities just like superheroes.'' Qiu quipped.

''Your accent was atrocious,'' Autumn added.

''You seemed to like it when we first met,'' Liam said with a smirk on his face.

''That was different,'' she retorted.

''How´s the decryption coming along?'' he chuckled taking a more serious demeanor.

''Whoever wrote this program is a bloody genius but I love a good challenge I think I can crack it in a bit,'' Liam imagined a very mischievous grin on her face, she was a very skilled computer hacker who had used her talents to commit crimes but only against evil doers, she herself had caused havoc in the totalitarian country of West Ping, they had accused their democratic neighbor East Ping of sabotage no one knew anything.

Liam´s ePhone vibrated in his jacket pocket, it was an unknown number. His parents called him last night on the bullet train as he made his way to New York, they had been worried about him, it had been eight years that he was missing, a lot of things had happened to him in the last eight years many things that could put his family in danger but coming back as if nothing had happened was a lot for him, he had to put a facade for their benefit, he wasn´t the same naive boy who talked too much and was too honest for his own good.

''Yeah?'' he said.

''Hello Detective, how are you doing this fine morning?'' spoke a very articulate Canadian accent

''Mortley, what an unpleasant surprise,'' Liam had a scowl on his face. ''You should conduct a better interview when you hire your henchmen, the one you sent after me in Munich was sloppy he´s in a jail cell being charged with trying to kill the mayor, then this guy who you dug out of that dark hole he was in, I kicked his sorry ass into Lake Ontario, turn yourself in Mortley you know I will find you and I will stop just like I have all the times before.''

''Your brilliant mind is equal to my own but if you should interfere in my plans again I will kill you, that simpleton Qiu and that English sprite but remember I don´t make empty threats,''

Down the block just from the NOI office was the headquarters of the New York Police Services, there was a hum that could be heard people on the street, the building suddenly started to move. The Neo-Gothic building was suddenly swallowed by the ground, debris and dust flying into the air.

''Goodbye detective,'' Mortley chuckled darkly before hanging up.

Liam could only stare at the hole which the building once stood up then his thoughts began racing in hyper speed calculating and theorizing when his eyes widened in realization.

''Damn.'' He muttered under his breath.

It was twenty minutes later that Liam arrived back at the hideout which was under the warehouse accessible only by a secret passageway. Autumn had recently dubbed it, the Sanctorum, it was full of some great machines and gizmos they had invented together.

''He´s insane,'' Liam seethed. ''But I think I might know what he´s planning to do at least with what.''

On the holographic screen, it was all the news, the sinking of police headquarters at least ten dead so far crews had been working for the last half hour to get people out. Police Chief Kim Gordon had been out in New Jersey when she heard of the calamity that took her former workplace.

''That blueprint, we´re going to built that machine right here,''

Qiu raised an eyebrow, Liam was unconventional but he always trusted in his instincts.

''You sure that´s wise?'' Autumn asked apprehensively.

''I´m a little bit crazy but if we can build that machine we may know how to stop it, you always love tinkering.''

''We can jury rig something together,''

Liam´s ePhone rang again and he recognized it was from back home in Maine. He walked to the corner putting up a cheerful facade he answered.

''Hey dad!'' he exclaimed with a smile plastered on his face.

''Hi champ, I just called to see how you were doing, the police headquarters was swallowed by the ground.'' said Chuck tensed.

''What?'' Liam gasped in false shock. ''I´m at the office trying to fix a little problem, you know us engineers we are professional problem solvers after all!''

To his family and friends, he was a mild-mannered Engineer having worked for the company for over eight years having been promoted twice. He was officially an engineer, when one was in his very unconventional line of work, it required a cover to fend off suspicion about his true vocation.

''How are you settling in, you call Steve yet?'' Chuck asked his youngest son.

''Its been okay. Work is a little hectic with this project we´re working but I´ll call him later on. Thanks for calling dad, means a lot.'' Liam said genuinely a smile flashing on his face. One thing he missed about his old life was his father, he always knew how to make a guy feel better.

''You know we´re having the annual Christmas party here at the house this year, _everyone_ is coming, Ellie and Alex are even flying out to help Sarah cook before the festivities, Morgan said he wanted to help but Alex forbade him,'' Chuck laughed at his oldest friend who even at nearly sixty years old was still a child at heart.

''Everyone knows huh?'' Liam said rubbing his five o'clock shadow.

''I called your aunt Ellie last night, she was practically screaming in my ear about you, I´d say the news has gotten around by now.'' Chuck responded.

''Got to get back to work, love you dad,''

''Love you too champ,''

Had the secret operative looked over, he would have seen his once amicable adversary's eyes shimmering with emotion. Autumn rarely saw his vulnerable side and she did it really surprised her from time to time. Qiu looked over it was very rare for him to have seen a human side to his long time partner.

''I think we can make some parts here, the rest we got to buy I know a hardware store not far from here,'' Liam said absentmindedly.

''Bring back some breakfast too, I´m starving!'' she exclaimed.

''Same here!'' Qiu echoed.

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


End file.
